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This nasty dunk by Kentucky's James Young may be the best of the tournament

This nasty dunk by Kentucky's James Young may be the best of the tournament

After a Shabazz Napier jumper gave Connecticut a nine-point lead at the 11:02 mark, Kentucky needed a spark – and James Young provided an emphatic one.

With the ball at the top of the key, the left-handed Young began a drive toward the basket and accelerated past UConn guard Terrence Samuel, came to a jump stop and elevated toward Huskies 7-foot center Amida Brimah was waiting.

Young met Brimah in the air, absorbed the contact and a partial block and slammed the ball home with his left hand to bring the Kentucky bench and the crowd to their feet.

Young made the subsequent free throw to complete the old fashioned three-point play. Kentucky then scored the game’s next five points to narrow the deficit to just one. 

The momentum-shifting play wasn't enough for the Wildcats in the end though, as the Huskies pulled away late for a 60-54 win – their fourth national championship in the last 15 years.

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Sam Cooper

is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!